New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-06
FORCES At WORK ON WAGE-EARNERS
CHANGED RELATIONS WITH EMPLOYERS.

CHANGED RELATIONS WITH EMPLOYERS.
In watching the progress Of labor organizations and
the executive ability and organizing capacity displayed
their promotion. surDri-e has been exp essed
at the possession OF such qualities in so large measure
by he earners of daily wages This surprise found
expression the other day in group OF Western uen az
the Holt aan House, when A. Is. Pangborn, who lives
In Chicago and is engaged in railroad r nsport snon.
got light fro little country town IN VIII Used to
i've get the weekly paper from there to keep track
OF my S,d home fTlends and have seen from nme 70
politics. In recent issue OF the paoer Jaw that they
had picked out as n candidate tor Mayor an old sc-
quainance named Ihomp.On. had no sooner read his
name than L flashed my mind where the LABOR
movement gets much its strength OF organization.
When knew Thomson ten years ago he wac MEM
the town. He was Odd Fellow, Mason, . 3ood
Temps and prominent figure tn. church TO " hirh
he belonged. lie knew all the parliamentary rules,
"A ready sp cchnaker and al avs his feet when
any subject was under discussion l can well un1er-
stand that such with his experience in debate n
the various organizations with which he IA conpected
with his experience in promoting these organizations
and his talent tor making speeches. could become o
central figure around which the labor organization
would gather. Since then have inquired quite widely
ab M leaders OF labor movements 10 various localities
and found almost invariably that they had received
similar education in secret organzat ons to that pos
sessed by Thompson"
One of Phladelphia's active young men ia Simon
Muir who is manufacturing jeweer. Are we ever
head them of 2" he asked at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
yeserda, and then remarked: Z" Manufacturers With
whom | come in contaci are Watching the course OF
labor affairs with great anxiet, Mot OF those VINO
they put the shutters and 60 fish ng II neces-
sary In tie last year havs gone through an exp"ri
encp with the six hundred m'n In our estab
lishment, such as do not care to undergo again I'D
lifetime We have always looked on the pc pie IN our
empO, ment as members OF great family Ii any u
them are sic we have physician who 10 engaged by
he TX after Them Ii fueie clT1steutng
the parents would feel sighted II we did not take
motto. Of it, presume there have been fifty CHI ldren
named after the last three or tour years. am
dir, ctor in an orphans home where have been able
to provision ter orphan children OF our mecnan-
cs, aud we have always made provl'on Tor desttut9
families where death illness ha. occurred. Now
h We grown up in the business with these employees
They W. re ike companions to me until year or SO
ago When went through the shops they were all
Gid to see me. But what change since these LABOR
org nizat 0ns have been at worN among themI ihste
Is no change /. me- But when go down through the
nine a. In the old days They avert their heads. There
h A feeling of -ntagonism. l understand 1t well
enough They have been out to their assembly meet
ings where they have heard speeches about mono.,o
lists and hard taskmasfers ana men who grind the
faces Of the am to them the type Of what they
nave heard denounced by the go-t'ny"ed takers ~
their meetings. | am the grnG ing taskDiaster. Why
rather than he thus regarded ny the men VINO nave
grown up with me as companions in business some
times reel that would like to burn the factory down
and 90 10 grubbing tor my own living
Pursuing the same subject further Mr. Muir spoke OF
the tyranny in the labor organizations, and said;
- Occas on ally there are among the mechanics
who recognize the dan change that ~ taking
Mace in the relations between employer and employee.
| huye in mind one of my toreren. Tie was taken no
bv us as q boy, gwen work, encouraged to become
sxiltul advanced through his own ability AMI quic,
mass and finally MADE q foreman at good salary. lie
came to me recently in much distress OF mind Ing
tina, he was being sOr pressed join the Heights VI
Labor HIS lite ually being made miserable Tor
him He declared that he telt that such move Was IN
untagonisu TO hrs employers. and that he owed them
uch personal debt that he could not take the step
I was Obliged TO advise him tor his own good 10 JOIN
the Knights because, told him. if he should refuse
The, would speedily pick quarres with him, secure
grounds OF complaint aud then demand MS discnMgo
on threat of a strike Where will all this end Who
kpowsl ouly know it is going from bad to worse"